Amos 7:10-17

10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, reported to Israel’s King Jeroboam, “Amos has plotted against you within the house of Israel. The land isn’t able to cope with everything that he is saying.11 Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will be forced out of its land.’”12 Amaziah said to Amos, “You who see things, go, run away to the land of Judah, eat your bread there, and prophesy there;13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s holy place and his royal house.”14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I a prophet’s son; but I am a shepherd, and a trimmer of sycamore trees.15 But the LORD took me from shepherding the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’16 “Now then hear the LORD’s word. You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel, and don’t preach against the house of Isaac.’17 “Therefore, the LORD proclaims: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, and your land will be measured and divided up; you yourself will die in an unclean land, and Israel will surely be taken away from its land.’”

Recently my five-year-old son came home with a note from the teacher. Apparently he had consistently disobeyed the rules, and he had received a red mark related to his behavior for the day. I knew this rule-breaking required some action on my part. I believed that a conversation would provide...

God of new life, help us see the ways that we have not lived up to our call. May we be willing to redirect our lives as we pay attention to the unlikely prophets around us. Amen.